Indian student’s F-1 visa denied by UMD sparks discussion Here’s the problem: “Don’t leave your…”
A software engineer from India sparked a debate about Reddit By recounting their experience in a brief U.S. student visa interview, at the end of which F-1 visa Denied under Section 214(b). This leaves applicants confused as to the reason for rejection.
The interview lasted only “a minute or two,” the person said in a post, noting that the consular officer did not inquire about financial status, family relationships, employment or post-graduation plans before declining.
The candidate’s interview lasted only a minute or two
“Hi everyone, my F-1 application was denied. visa Under 214(b) today, it’s really hard for me to understand why. “The interview lasted only a minute or two and did not ask about my finances, family, employment or post-graduation plans,” the Reddit user said. However, HT.com was unable to independently verify the veracity of the user’s claims on Reddit.
Also read: US offers expedited visa interview service for $750: 5 key things applicants must know
Applicants said they have received offers of admission to the University of Maryland, College Park, to study in the Master of Science in Computer Science program, which begins on August 31. According to the post, the student’s father is financing the education and was approved for an education loan of approximately $58,800 (equivalent to $5 million).
“This is my profile: College: University of Maryland, College Park, Program: Master’s in Computer Science, Class Starts: August 31, Funding: Dad is my sponsor. $5 million education loan approved. “
The person mentioned that they are currently employed remotely in India as a software engineer for a San Francisco-based company. They also noted that their employment was due to end on July 17, before the start of the master’s program, and that they had a letter from their employer stating that it had “no intention of employing me during or after my studies”.
The following are the visa officer’s questions and the candidates’ answers:
Looking back at the interviews, applicants recalled that visa officers initially made standard inquiries about whether they were willing or worried about returning to India.
The applicant replied: “No.”
The official then asked, “Why UMD?”
“I chose UMD because it is closely related to my research interests in computer vision. The program offers specialized electives in artificial intelligence and computer vision, and its research labs match the areas I want to explore during my master’s degree,” the student responded.
According to the post, this was the only academic inquiry conducted before the interview concluded.
The official then urged the candidate to hold out a hand for fingerprinting. The VO then called for a short while and provided the applicant with the 214(b) denial document and informed him that the visa had been denied.
The applicant stated that he was an only child with both parents residing in India and expressed a wish to understand the factors that might have contributed to this decision.
“I am not asking for sympathy. I sincerely want to understand what may have caused concern. Since the interview was so short, I found it difficult to determine what I should improve before reapplying,” the post read.
The user ended by asking if others had experienced similar rejections. “Has anyone experienced a similar 214(b) denial after such a brief interview? What would you change if you were able to get approved on a subsequent attempt?” they asked.
Reddit user reactions
The post received a large number of responses, with many Reddit users suggesting that an applicant’s remote work for a US company could affect the visa officer’s assessment.
“Look, your remote work arrangement with your US employer is a red flag to the consulate. It indicates two things: one, you have contacts in the US who can provide you with employment opportunities with the right skills, and two, you are still working for them and have only recently started. As others have said, what if you continue to work for them while receiving your salary on an Indian account? This is also considered to be bypassing your US company pay 10 One way the consular officer just needs to be reasonably convinced is that somehow, I honestly don’t think your profile will be approved, if I were you I would just get a master’s degree in India and keep my job,” one person said.
Others, meanwhile, advised Reddit users not to resign.
“Don’t leave your job. Stick with it. You also save yourself a lot of worries about loans, spending money for a master’s degree, not being able to find a job, H1 worries, etc. Move to a different field and become good at what you are doing. The old path of going to the US for a master’s degree is getting more and more painful,” said another.
“Why don’t you work hard for the next 6 months so they fund your h1b?” a third user wrote.
